Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Jones, George 1827 - 1905
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Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

GEORGE JONES.

    Although it has been a few years since the late George Jones, the subject of
this memorial sketch, passed from this life, yet he is well remembered by many
citizens of Brown county, Minnesota, as a man well worthy of the respect
accorded him by friends and neighbors. George Jones, who farmed for many years
on four hundred acres in Milford township, was an Englishman by birth, born in
Manchester on November 16, 1827, and died at his home here on July 16, 1905. He
was a son of George and Mary Jones, both natives of England. His father died
when the subject of this sketch was but a small child and he was brought to this
country by his mother and her parents. The family located near Erie,
Pennsylvania, where young George grew to manhood and received his education,
working on the home farm. As a young man, he took up his residence in the city
of Erie and learned the carpenter trade. With this means of livelihood at his
command, he came westward, living in St. Louis for a number of years and working
at his trade. From St. Louis he moved to Hastings, this state, where he remained
a short time and was married and then with his wife he moved to Dubuque, Iowa,
near which town he owned a tract of land. After disposing of that land, they
moved to Millville, Clayton county, Iowa, where George Jones operated a saw-mill
for some two years, and in 1856 they came to Milford township, this county.
George Jones pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land, his claim being
dated July 16, 1856, land being located on the Cottonwood river. This county at
that time was in the earliest stages of development and the small eighteen by
twenty log cabin George Jones built was typical of all other homes in this
section. He set about improving his land and getting his farm into good
condition, farmed there until the time of his death. The Jones family were
located here before the Indian outrages of the early sixties and, as did others
of this locality, they sought refuge at New Ulm, assisting in the protection of
that town from the infuriated Indians. George Jones took a keen interest in the
development of this section and was a school director for a number of years. He
also served as justice of the peace and in many ways gave his labor and
influence toward the advancement of the various phases of community life.

     On October 23, 1853, George Jones was united in marriage with Mary Thomas,
a daughter of Henry and Esther (Spicer) Thomas. Mary Thomas was a native of New
York state, born January 20, 1835, her father having first seen the light of day
in 1808 and her mother in 1815. Henry Thomas was reared a farmer and followed
that vocation in his native state. He and his family came into the great
Northwest at an early date and settled in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where
they entered land and remained a short time. They then moved to Margaretta
county and entered another tract, remaining there also hut a short time. In 1853
Henry Thomas joined the stream of gold hunters who were flocking to California
and remained there about two years. Returning to this section of the country, he
rejoined his family in Wisconsin and the following spring came to Brown county
and entered land in Milford township. That was in the spring of 1856 and in this
township he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1875. His
widow survived him until 1907. There were originally eight children in the
Thomas family, but five surviving at the present time. These are Mary, widow of
the immediate subject of this sketch, and the only one remaining in this county;
Margaret, Minerva, Jane and Caroline.

     George Jones and wife had a family of five children, namely: Annie Mary
Esther, Henry Thomas, Edna Virginia, Sarah and Herbert. Annie married Anton
Richartz; Henry married Hannah Johnson and has four children, Ruth, Anna, George
and Virginia; Ruth is the wife of Earl Murray. Edna became the wife of Charles
Robertson; Sarah remained unmarried and Herbert chose Bertha Ganska as his
helpmeet.

     Religiously, George Jones was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and ordered his life by its teachings, while he gave his political support to
the Republican party, being especially interested in that party's affairs as
related to local matters. Altogether, he was one of the stanch and sturdy
pioneers of this section at a time when the influence of a wise and good man did
much toward forming the status of its future existence. His widow is the oldest
living resident in the county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA
ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS

L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D.
Editor

With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Old Families

VOLUME II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana



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